Trial date set for Farmington man accused of dismembering girlfriend

A trial date has been set for a man accused of killing and dismembering his girlfriend in Farmington earlier this year.
William Dhondt will stand trial beginning at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 27. The date was determined during a pretrial hearing Thursday, Sept. 12, in front of Oakland County Circuit Judge Phyllis McMillen.
A pretrial in the matter was set for 1 p.m. Dec. 12, and Dhondt will undergo an independent forensic examination.
Dhondt, 28, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder and mutilation of a dead body in the February death of his girlfriend, Kaitlin Hehir. Investigators believe Dhondt strangled Hehir and used tools to dismember her body after an argument became physical.
Hehir’s body parts were stored in various areas of their Farmington home.
Judith Gracey, who represents Dhondt, said she requested the independent exam “because of the nature of the actions and his lack of any criminal history.”
“I want a more thorough evaluation that he didn’t get at the forensic center,” where Dhondt was found competent to stand trial, Gracey said.
Dhondt has two convictions on his record — one each for misdemeanor embezzlement and drunken driving.
During a prior court hearing, a Farmington public safety detective said Dhondt admitted to hitting Hehir with a cup, causing her to hit her head on a dresser and fall to the ground.
He then got on top of her and hit her multiple times in the head. He also smashed her head to the ground repeatedly before strangling her, Farmington Public Safety Detective Andrew Morche said.
The entire incident lasted about four minutes, Dhondt told police.